The Poor Dream

A moving mosaic of what it means to be endowed with Great Expectations, That Poor Dream is set on a train traveling from New York City to Fairfield, CT, uniting worlds divided by geography, privilege, and time. Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic novel about coming of age in a profoundly class-conscious society, the work draws on the company’s own complex relationship to class identity and economic disparity in American society. The Assembly's newest creation explores how class defines and divides us, and how our shared humanity might bring us closer together.

Press

"Expressive....How people make a living, roughly or smoothly, and what they make of themselves are the questions animating this nicely modern adaptation. Created by the ensemble and directed by Jess Chayes, the piece plays out in a single train car. It uses Dickens’s story to explore the freedoms and burdens that money bestows, particularly in a time of profound economic disparity."- The New York Times

"A gorgeous production... This is a sophisticated and brave show from a young, talented and ambitious company, both of which are worth watching."- New York Theater Now

"This bold and brave piece sets the spark for an introspective revolution....Let me tell you folks: Shit. Got. Real. There have only been a handful of times when I’ve sat in an audience and felt as though I have been shaken to the core. At the end of That Poor DreamI felt as though I was witnessing a revolution and the evolution of theatre all at once."- Theater is Easy

"That Poor Dream is one of the most daring and innovative pieces to grace the indie stage recently."- Theater in the Now

Cast & Creative Team

written and devised collectively by The Assembly and the castdirected by Jess Chayes